He made all six of his shots. He connected on a pair of threes. He was plus-17 in the fourth and a team-high plus-20 for the game.
“It was huge for us,” Smart said. “It never changes with him. If things are going bad or good, he’s going to be him.”
Down the stretch, Horford got help. Jayson Tatum had 18 points through three quarters. But he needed 18 shots to get them. He didn’t have an assist in the first half. He got to the free throw line twice. Milwaukee’s physical defense, led by Jrue Holiday, has bothered him throughout the series. But Tatum stuck with it. He scored 12 points in the fourth, connecting on five of his six shots. He picked off a couple of rebounds. He handed out two assists. As Giannis tired, Tatum got going, punctuated by a 27-footer that gave Boston its first double-digit lead.
“I played terrible in Game 3,” Tatum said. “I was just ready to play. Whether it was scoring or not, I just wanted to play better. Play better basketball, you know?”
This is a war of attrition now. “It’s the playoffs,” said Budenholzer. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be.” Antetokounmpo, at times a one-man band offensively with Khris Middleton out, looked tired in the fourth quarter on Monday. Holiday, who took 30 shots in Game 3, was 5-22 in Game 4. As the series shifts back to Boston, the Bucks will need someone to take the offensive pressure off Antetokounmpo. “Nobody said it’s going to be easy,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve got to go to Boston and play good basketball.”
Indeed. Boston reclaimed home-court advantage, but the Bucks have proven they can win there. And the Celtics are just as tired and even more banged up. Robert Williams who made a quicker than expected recovery from knee surgery in March, sat out Game 4 with knee soreness. It’s unclear when he will return. As this series enters its final stage, the Bucks have to believe they can still win it.
“It wasn’t our game,” said Antetokounmpo. “It was their game today. You have to tip your hat and come out ready for Game 5.”
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